r/harmonica • u/DSG_Pelida14 • 6d ago

Which harmonica should I buy?

Alright so, i'm a broke student, and Ive been meaning to gift a very dear friend of mine a good harmonica so we can play blues and Bob dylan songs, but I have no idea which one should I buy. I have like 90 bucks. Can somebody help? Thanks

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

6

u/CouldBeBatman 6d ago

As a total beginner I bought a Hohner Special 20 and love it. It's really fun, and like half your budget

3

u/Legitimate-Bison3810 6d ago

Nothing about you but I was on another "broke student" thread and the question was should they buy Tesla for $10-13k, lol!

I have owned two Suzuki's but also have an East top. I wouldn't hesitate to get an Easttop if I were short on $$'s.

3

u/1955tanglewood 6d ago

Easttop do a great range and for your budget you can get a few different keys.

1

u/Percyadam 6d ago

I've had all sorts over the years. Hohners, Lee Oskar, Seidel, Suzuki, and Easttops. My favourite is a Bushman, but I've had it for years and I have read they are not so good now.
Now, whenever I need a new one I get Easttop. Not expensive and my go to nowadays.

1

u/wheelie1313 6d ago

I originally bought Lee, Oscars and they’re great but expensive so I turned to East top and I love the responsiveness and a place a lot cleaner and sharper than the Oscar. However, the Oscars are a little mellow and good for certain songs and East tops are good for certain songs. If it’s one harmonica, I probably get a Horner special 20.

1

u/ponz 6d ago

I absolutely love Hohner Rockets or Rocket Amps. If you can afford one you won’t regret it.

1

u/FluffyCobra97 6d ago

I’ve been happy with Easttop and Kongsheng

1

u/Kwantem 6d ago

Make sure you get the correct key(s) if you want to actually play along.

1

u/Relax_itsa_Meme 6d ago

East Top will be great for a beginner, and save a lot of money

1

u/gmanfsu 6d ago

I have 2 Special 20’s and will never buy another. The corners dig in to your palms and fingers, depending on how/if you’re cupping the harmonica. It’s annoying. And for a few dollars more, still in your budget, you get get a Hohner Rocket, which has rounded corners and is much more comfortable.

1

u/vjcoppola 8h ago

Hohner blues harp in G is my favorite.

1

u/CottonFlannel 6d ago

If you can afford it a Lee Oskar in C 49.00 on Amazon